Health conditions starting with W and herbal remedies used to treat them

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Warts Weight Waters, Herb Whooping Cough Water Retention Wounds

DISCLAIMER: These pages are presented solely as a source of INFORMATION and ENTERTAINMENT and to provide stern warnings against use where appropriate. No claims are made for the efficacy of any herb nor for any historical herbal treatment. In no way can the information provided here take the place of the standard, legal, medical practice of any country. Additionally, some of these plants are extremely toxic and should be used only by licensed professionals who have the means to process them properly into appropriate pharmaceuticals. One final note: many plants were used for a wide range of illnesses in the past, but be aware that many of the historical uses have proven to be ineffective for the problems to which they were applied.

WARTS The removal of warts has one of the most interesting histories in herbal folklore and leans more toward the metaphysical than most complaints. Since earliest times, rituals and spells have abounded. Things to do with black cats at midnight and acorns and oak trees. Oddly enough many warts have actually disappeared after being "treated" by one or another of these old superstitions. This might be one of those cases where mind-over-matter is of some benefit. Laying aside the superstitious approach, there are some methods which can offer help, although a small bottle of wart remover is safe, quick, easily purchased at the drug store and far more effective.

Take the peel from a very ripe banana and cut a small square from it. Tape the inside of the peel directly onto the wart and leave overnight. Remove in the morning and repeat each night until the wart is gone.
Break open a vitamin E capsule and dab the wart with the contents.
Crush an asprin tablet and mix in a few drops of wintergreen oil; apply to wart; cover with a small bandage. Takes a while to work.
Rub garlic directly on the wart.
The milky latex from the stem of the dandelion applied to the wart daily.
One old time Vermont method of dealing with warts was to rub castor oil into the wart 20 times or more (working it in well) twice a day, morning and evening.

WATERS
HERB WATERS, GENERAL
For leaves and/or flowers, fill a jar with either and cover with boiling water. Let cool slightly, then add alcohol (vodka, etc) in the proportion of 2 tbsp per quart. Cover with a cloth and allow to get completely cold; strain and put up in stoppered bottles.
For seeds, use 1 part seed to 5 parts 80 proof vodka; leave covered in a jar for 3 to 4 weeks. For clove or cinnamon leave 1 week at the longest.

HERB WATERS, QUICK
Add a few drops of essential oil to 1 cup of distilled water.
ANGELICA WATER

4 lbs of angelica leaves
3 oz anise seed
4 oz coriander seeds
4 oz caraway seeds

Chop leaves small and bruise seeds together. Put into a still with 6 gallons of white wine and let stand overnight. In the morning put in a handful each of fresh clove pinks, sage flowers and sweet marjoram; stir well and put on head of still, closing it with a paper wetted with flour and water paste, and then distill off the liquor (makes 3 gallons).

ANISE WATER Place a handful of bruised anise seeds into a quart of water; allow to stand several hours. Add ¼ lb of sugar. When sugar is melted and the taste of the seeds is well taken up by the water, then strain and drink.

APPLE WATER Boil some sliced apples in water till there is a strong apple flavor in the water. Sweeten with sugar. Bottle for 3 or 4 months with a lemon peel in each bottle. A thick mother will form at the top, but remove it and enjoy the liquid.

ARROWROOT WATER Make a paste of 2 tsp of arrowroot powder and 2 tbsp of cold water. Add 1 cup of boiling water and cook for 2 hours in a double boiler. Salt, if desired. Strain.

BARLEY WATER, SIMPLE

4 oz whole barley
2 oz honey
lemon peel
½ lemon

Add 1 pint of water to barley and lemon peel. Simmer till soft , then remove from heat. Allow to steep, then add honey.

BARLEY WATER, COMPOUNDED

2 pints simple barley water
1 pint hot water
2½ oz sliced figs
½ oz sliced and bruised licorice root
2½ oz raisins

Boil down to 2 pints. Strain.
CINNAMON WATER
Pour 1 quart of boiling water over ¼ oz cinnamon and ¼ lb sugar. Allow to stand till cool, then strain and drink as desired.

DILL WATER Steep 1 tsp bruised seeds in 1 glass hot water for several hours; strain and sweeten with honey. Give 1 tbsp for adults and 1 tsp for colicky children. OR: Add 8 drops of dill oil to 1 pint water; take 1 to 2 tsps.

FENUGREEK WATER Simmer 1 oz fenugreek seeds in 1 pint of water in a covered pan for 15 minutes; cool and drink by the wineglassful.

HUNGARY WATER
(once used for paralysis)

Take 1 gallon of brandy or other clean spirit, 1 handful of rosemary, 1 handful of lavender. Infuse the herbs in the brandy along with 1 handful of myrtle. Allow to stand for 3 days, then strain.
1 lb rosemary tops in bloom, 1 oz fresh sage, 4 cups 100 proof vodka (or other spirit), 1 oz ginger. Combine ingredients except ginger. Let sit 10 days. Strain and add ginger, then let sit a few days and strain again.
Recipe of British perfumers cicrca 1866. ¼ oz rosemary oil, 1/16 oz English lavender oil, 1 cup orange flower water, 1½ pints 160 proof alcohol. Combine ingredients in covered container. Shake daily for one week.

LAVENDER WATER Fill a small jar with lavender blossoms then cover with vodka or brandy. Allow to steep for several days, then strain. Repeat until the fragrance is strong, then strain and bottle. Was once thought to be good for weak, falling hair as a scalp rub several times a week.

RASPBERRY WATER

1 lb raspberries
5 oz sugar
1 quart water
Heat the water and pour over the berries and sugar. When sugar is melted, strain, cool and drink.

WATER RETENTION
Cut back on salt use and in particular during the evening hours.

Dandelions act as a diuretic but with the benefit of containing large amounts of potassium so that this vital nutrient is not leached from the body by the diuretic action. Infuse flowers and leaves of dandelion to make a tea. Use 1 handful to 1 pint of boiling water and steep for 10 minutes. Strain and add honey. Taken 1 cup several times a day. OR: ½ tsp of dandelion leaf tincture 3 times a day or 1 tsp when needed. Avoid using it at night.

WEIGHT Herbal remedies for weight control rely almost exclusively on diurectic and laxative herbs. Although they may seem to offer initial weight loss, it is in the nature of simple water loss from the tissues and evacuation of the bowels. Losing weight has always been a simple matter of eating habits and exercise, except where a physical cause is firmly established. The exception seems to be Hoodia which is being touted as the latest weight-loss herb. In South Africa the natives used it kill their appetite when food was not readily available. There still needs to be a great deal more research on this herb to quantify it as safe to use over a long term.
Eliminate sweets and fats from the diet. Use only olive oil for cooking and eschew anything made with shortening. It is not necessary to go hungry, but it is necessary to change eating habits. The word diet must be eliminated from the vocabulary and replaced with the idea that food is good, IF it is good food. Make everything from scratch in order to ensure the ingredients. Fully satisfying meals can be produced which do not leave one hungry. A breakfast which includes protein is essential to begin the day. Protein takes longer to digest and insures a steady release of blood sugars, which means it will stave off hunger longer and keep you feeling full. Since exercise can reduce false hunger needs (boredom increases them), walking each day is a simple way to initially approach the need. Begin with a 10 minute walk daily and increase to 15 at the end of the week and then 20, etc. Even the pace of a stroll is sufficient to begin. It is not necessary to coerce the body into painful or uncomfortable paces, distances or time limits. Do what is comfortable and build up your stamina slowly. Also essential is to drink lots of water during the day...not sodas, coffee, tea, etc...it isn't the same thing. A bit of lemon juice or a tsp of raspberry extract, etc, can liven up the taste of water without adding unhealthful elements.

WHOOPING COUGH Fortunately, little is seen of this terrible illness today due to a program of innoculation in childhood. There are many old recipes which were used to treat it. Inhalation therapy was a standard procedure with one of the decongestant herbs or oils placed in the water which produced the steam (ie. eucalyptus, thyme, elecampane, etc.) The following will work for other types of coughs and are included under this heading for their historical value.

Combine 5 parts sage, 8 parts anise, 10 parts primrose, 15 parts althea root, 15 parts elderflowers, 15 parts thyme. Soak 1 tbsp of the mix in ½ cup cold water for 3 hours, then bring to a boil and steep 10 minutes. Take ½ cup a day, in tbsp doses.
Combine equal parts elecampane root, thyme, nettle, lungwort. Steep 1 tsp for 10 minutes in boiling hot water. Strain and sweeten with honey if desired.
Combine equal parts thyme, mouse ear, coltsfoot and licorice root. Steep 5 tbsp in 3 cups boiling hot water for 30 minutes, covered. Strain and sweeten with honey. Take 1 to 4 tbsp 4 times daily between meals. Dose is dependant on age and weight.
Cough syrup: Combine 1 oz garlic syrup, ½ oz catnip glycerite, ½ oz thyme tincture or syrup, ½ oz hyssop tincture, ½ oz crampbark tincture, ½ oz wild lettuce tincture, ¼ oz ginger syrup, ¼ oz elecampane tincture. Give ½ to 1 tsp every 2 hours.

WOUNDS In general, for minor injuries, encourage the initial bleeding to flush foreign matter from the flesh and then swab with an antiseptic solution (unless of course the bleeding is severe and then immediate measures must be taken to stop it.)

BLEEDING WOUNDS

Crush fresh yarrow leaves (styptic) and apply to wound.
Bruise a plant of shepherd's purse and apply to wound; prepare whole plant as a tea and wash the wound with it.

COMFREY ASTRINGENT WASH In either a blender or a juicer, mix fresh comfrey leaves with just enough water to mix smoothly, then strain, press and use. Used as a wash for cuts, scrapes, abrasions, minor burns and skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis.

COMFREY POULTICE Comfrey is known to aid in cell regeneration. Pick comfrey leaves, rinse them and shake them dry. Blend with enough distilled water to create a thick mash. Place in a thin gauze and apply to the area to be treated. If a rash appears (comfrey leaves have hairs which can irritate some sensitive skins), discontinue use or apply a thin layer of olive oil to the area first.

DRAWING SALVE Used for scabbed-over wounds and in particular those with evident redness and possible mild infection. Combine 1 oz crushed plantain leaves, 1 oz powdered comfrey root, 4 oz olive oil, ¼ oz beeswax, a few drops of tea tree oil. See Salves for how-to make it.

GARLIC
Crushed garlic or garlic oil was once used for infection prevention in open wounds.
GOLDENSEAL EXTRACT
(cold process)
Can be used directly on injuries such as cuts, scrapes, etc.

Combine 4 oz coarsely ground goldenseal powder and 6 oz 100 proof vodka. Follow directions for cold percolation extract.

GOLDENSEAL WOUND PASTE Combine equal amounts of slippery elm bark powder and goldenseal root powder, plus 1 tbsp olive oil or distilled water. Mix these together at the time they are needed and apply to a cloth which is placed over the wounds. The wound should later be washed with a sage (antiseptic) tea.

OPEN WOUNDS and LESIONS
A 1-to-10 dilution of calendula can be used directly on the wound.
PLANTAIN POULTICE
Used for removing deeply imbedded foreign objects including glass.
Pick, wash and shake dry the plantain leaves. Blend with distilled water until there is a thick mash. Use a piece of gauze diaper and place in the center and then apply to the area to be treated.

SORES
Use raw scraped carrot pulp on putrid sores. Split open a fig and apply to hard to heal sores.

©1998 by Ernestina Parziale, CH